The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-18
LIFE IN LIBERIA.
COUNTRY WHICH LACKS TIE
COMFORTS or CIVILIZATION.

Minister Taylor Chats Lntertainingiy Of
The Habits and Custom, of the African
Republic Il DARK Picturo -- "I;us-a
Iugsa-" and DRIVER" Anti.
''Whcn The judgment comes hope il
will berin with Liberia d it docs DO viii
be used up before il can go Gny further"
These are tire words I'm which Charles
II. j. Taylor. the United state i.nater
To the African republic sumgc0 ~ Die
opinion Of the little country ca t-o west
coast Nr Taylor has recently returned
from Isis station. end has resigned lis
mission As his resignation does Doc take
effect until Jan. ! i. and ass be is therefore
still connected with The state department..
he is wary Of expressing his opinions.
Air Taylor Is a Colored man Of marked
ability. and has been city attorney Of
Kansas City lie chalted entertanngly
Of ito habits and customs Of Liberia.
"Ihe startling disproporlion. " BE said,
between the natives and the immigrants
and their descendants is not generally
known. OF the 1000 0O0 inhabitants Of
Liberia. SIS 0O0 are natives and l2.OOO i'm
migrants There were 21OC0 immigrants
from America, but as you see. most Of
them are dead. They have been going
over from America for sixty-six years.
and missionaries have been al
work there for fifty years, and
these figures indicate all they have
accomplished. The civilized are 10 the
uncivilizcd as one 10 hundred.
There are never any children in the
third generation Of immigrant families.
one reason is the humid dampness Of the
country, which imperceptibly, but surely,
exhausts the strength OF all but natives.
/ The temperature ranges between So and
- degs You may polish your shoes at
night, and I'm the morning they VIII be
covered with mgdew. All OF the natives
go nude Two of the tribes are very light
c0lorcd and pretty The full dress ot tine
men is tall hat and an umbrella. Then.
I in general, an The unciyilized influence
are the stronger. The children of lmmi-
grant. have never seen amy civilization
/ hut that Of their parents and they soon
+ learn ~ go nude. like the great majority
Of people about them There are many
D. other evil things about Liberia of which ]
cannot speak now. When ] went ~ III
/ IBERIA ] thought ! wanted every negro u
America 90 pack bis -achel and go t0 that
paradise Now say 20 them. stay away
/ FROM 3d. Only deludcd American negroes
go there now They are led to lo by
/ OBJ. Colonization society. The motive. a.
the society are good, but they do lot know
/ the truth about Liberia.
"Wlat are some striking facts about
/ the condition of the conntryf
DID,. "a .H q
iackas- in the country The COWS are
about az big as Newfoundland dogs and
give no milk The oxen are useless
/ There is not carriage or wagon or even
/ % Wheelharrow iu the republic, and there
are not three plows owned ia tie whole
population They have "a secretary al The
navy. bat not a canoe nor roWboat lhey
/ have a secretary of war, but not cannon
( t0 fire a salute The army consists 81 Az
soldiers. of W-om 3ss are officers and -
prIyates The legislature meets annually
aud consists of eight senators and thirteen
/ representatives. who stand for 100
voters The natives are not represented
/ in the government The president is il.
/ w. II. johnson, who was born there ~
American Parents Hc wears linen
buster in addition 90 Dis plug Lat and
umbrella. lie appoints ah tne officers
| from members of bis cabinet down 90
constables Nearly every voter - an OLE
Ger of some kind.
"Whou the immigrant arrives hc is mct
/ hy the musical force Of the country which
consists of one fife and one drum Later
/ he meets the burga buggas. and the
drivers. These are ants Tie bugga bug-
gas believe ia woman rule They cOm-
manded ty queen, Who is as big as
mans two thumbs and looks Ike white
piece Of bacon. She and her followers VIII
eatanything but iron. You may build a
I house one day, and the next day. If you
were 20 strike il, the whole structure
would fail
The dryers-Oh, Lord-they viii eat
up man. They have eaten six natives,
and the natives sometimes punish a crim-
/ ins or an enemy 10y tying him 10 "a tree
and leaving him 10 his fate. The drivers
are the scayengers Of the country They
march like an army, in a closely knitted
line, numbering myrads. They have
generals, colonies, captains, leutenanis
and priyates ranking according 10 size.
The generals are half as big as little
finger They eat everything unClean.
The natives are obliged 20 battle twice @
day, otherwise the drivers would over
whelm them a boa constructor after
crushing n victim to death, will make
wide circuit around the body to be sure
that no drivers are near The serpent
knows that after ne has swallowed the
body re must sleep, and if the drivers
caught him i'm his post prandial slumber
they would eat him up. The drivers visit
a house about twice a month. Then ycu
have TO go away until they are gone.
"What do the people do for q hyng'
81 Will only say that they earn their
living in o different way from anybody DO
America. cannot answer that question
Nth proprieiy yet"-Ncw York Nail
and Express.